


1000 ways for Micah to die in the west

by Indiana_Jackson



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Typical Violence, No Beta, Tries To Be Funny, arthur is a better liar, i was bored, micah gets served, obviously, spoilers for the whole game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-08 13:38:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 16,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17387342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indiana_Jackson/pseuds/Indiana_Jackson
Summary: (formerly titled oops?)Their in another shoot out caused by Micah when Arthur gets an idea...or in other words, all the times I wished I was allowed to shoot Micah. I may keep adding as more comes to me. If anybody has any Micah death's they wanna see, tell me and I'll try and write them in. Oh and spoilers for the whole game.





	1. Shoot outs and Hercule

In which Arthur gets sneaky:

(Lemoyne)

Their pinned down behind some crates and taking heavy fire. Him and Micah. Despite Micah cackling like an insane bastard, their winning. As the last of the Lemoyne Raiders tuck tail and run, Arthur looks over at Micah.

"Hey Micah!" Arthur calls as he cocks the hammer back

"What cowpoke!" Micah snarls as he turns

BANG!

"I'm sorry, Dutch. Micah didn't make it. Damn raiders got a lucky shot in. Had to leave the body before more showed up."

"It's okay, son. I'm sure you did your best."

* * *

 

In which Arthur is a better liar:

(Strawberry)

"Cowpoke get me outta here!" Micah snarls, desperate now

"Nah, their gonna hang you. Have fun swinging Micah. I'll be watching." Arthur saunters off

He's in the crowd the next morning, when they bring Micah out. Not front and center, that would just be stupid. He's got a good view of the long drop and the short snap. Arthur toast the swinging body with an invisible bottle. 

 

"Sorry Dutch. They hung him just as I rode in..."

 

* * *

 

In which the O'Driscolls actually manage to aim straight

(Stagecoach mission, near Strawberry)

Arthur cant believe it. Micah's grand plan has failed. That's not the part he cant believe though, he expected that. He cant believe the man himself is running right at the O'Driscolls in the middle of the river. Arthur himself is stuck behind a rock by the ruined coach. As he pops up to take a shot at an O'Driscoll, Micah crosses right in front of him when he pulls the trigger. BANG! oops...

 

"Sorry Dutch, the damn O'Driscolls shot him..."

* * *

 

In which the Greys aim for the bigger looking threat 

(That Rhodes mission)

Arthur saw the glint on the rooftop just as Sean turned to say something, rifle sitting carelessly on his shoulder

The bullet whizzed past Sean's ear, and Micah's head exploded

"Ambush! get to cover!"

"is he dead?"

"course he's dead! look at him! his brains is all over the ground!"

* * *

 

In which Hercule has had enough

(Guarma)

Micah was antagonizing the Haitian again. Even Bill knew that was a bad idea

"Whats a darkie fucker like you gonna do about it?" 

Hercule's machete flashed in the dappled sunlight

Micah's head rolled into the deep undergrowth

Dutch and Arthur and Bill blinked in shock

"Huh. yep, that'd do it."

*edited because i got Hercule and Baptiste mixed up

 

* * *

 

 

...and they all lived.. well except Arthur, cause you know ,sick and all that...

 


	2. errand boy and the count

In which Arthur ain't no errand boy

(Downes mission)

"Herr Morgan, perhaps you could collect some debts for me? Lily Millet, chick Matthews and.. a Mr Downes?" Leopold asked as he stopped Arthur on his way across the camp. Arthur was hungover and really just wanted to get some food in him so he snapped at the Austrian.

"I ain't your errand boy. Get somebody else!" he shook off the little man and went on his way.

Strauss frowned in distaste. "Rude... Oh Herr Bell! Perhaps you could help me..."

 

Later as Micah started to have a chest deep, painful cough, Arthur would look back on that moment. Then he'd chuckle and think _'rather you than me, ya bastard. Couldn't happen to a nicer man.'_

 

* * *

In Which The Count is Wicked

(Clemens Point Camp)

_(I tried to ride The Count once...)_

 

Kieran was brushing The Count for Dutch and talking to Arthur about the time he tried to ride him. He liked the look of the little albino Arabian, but from what Arthur was saying, he thought he was better sticking with Branwen. The pinkish roan was vastly less temperamental. Micah was sitting nearby at the scout fire, eavesdropping. 

"Yeah, The Count dropped me so hard I saw stars. Couldn't get my breath back for a while neither. Of course Dutch near laughed himself sick too. " Arthur laughed and shook his head as he ran a brush over his mare's withers.

Micah scoffed loudly and walked over. "What's this cowpoke? Finally something you ain't the best at ? Guess your not as hot shit as you think you are. Bet I could ride him."

Arthur and Keiran shared a look. "I bet you can too, Mr Bell."

"well I say he cant, he's too yeller."

Micah puffed up like a rooster and grabbed The Counts reins. He leapt on and The Count... did nothing. Keiran and Arthur backed well away as they saw the look in the little horse's eyes. "He aint so tou-"

The Count let out a roar and whirled to the left before Micah could finish the word. He lost his balance and raked The Count's side with a spur as he frantically threw himself the other way to stay on. The albino gave a screech and threw himself straight up and started[ sunfishing.](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a8/3e/66/a83e661461ef0d607c58f75851c20be8.jpg) Micah lasted one more bone jarring jump before they parted ways. Arthur thought The Count was done now, but the arabian had decided to pay back the insult of the spur in his side. He charged at the downed gunslinger, [all teeth and flashing hooves](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GsQilcxmUJ0/hqdefault.jpg). Arthur or Keiran probably shoulda tried to intervene, but they didn't want to get stomped on either. And like hell were they gonna shoot Dutch's horse to get him off Micah.

There wasn't much left of Micah as The Count tossed his head and flipped his tail triumphantly before trotting away. Keiran gave the albino extra treats that night. Arthur did too. 

 

**(there's an image link on "sunfishing" and "flashing hooves")**

* * *

 

 

 

 

 


	3. resurrected

In which everybody is resurrected

(day after the party to welcome Sean home)

*warning, graphic depiction of getting brain shot after the dividing line*

Waking up to Molly screaming at Mrs. Grimshaw "you shot me you auld bitch!" and Mrs. Grimshaw screaming back wasn't exactly how Arthur expected to wake up the day after rescuing Sean. Waking up with a splitting headache and nauseous as all hell? Par for the course after a party. Remembering that he had  _just died_? absolutely not. He shot up and a spike of pain went through his brain. Arthur staggered out of his tent like a blind drunk. Just in time to see Molly slap Mrs. Grimshaw and then hug the other girls. He weaved past the Marston’s, huddled up and crying on each other. Jack seemed a bit bewildered as his momma squeezed him but he went along with it. What really did his head in though was the sight of Hosea with Dutch down on the ground. The elder man was sitting on Dutch’s chest and just beating the tar out of him, while Dutch didn't even try to defend himself. Sean sat beside Pearson's wagon with Molly's hand mirror, frantically checking and rechecking the side of his head where the bullet went in. Bill and Javier weren't out yet or they had run screaming, Arthur wasn't sure. Lenny sat at the poker table with the Reverend and Pearson, blank faced and absently patting where he was shot. Sadie and Charles seemed to be handling it the best, and were sitting by the horses on a large rock. Arthur shambled his way over to them. The pair surged up and engulfed him in a bone crushing hug. Arthur's voice was hoarse as he asked, "what" he had to clear his throat and try again "what do you remember?"

Sadie gave him a sad smile, "All of it Arthur. Every speck of it."

        Somewhere in the trees, Kieran started screaming and the trio watched him run through camp in blind panic. The sound cut off when he crashed into Strauss, also screaming, and they went down in a heap. 

"What are we going to do about Micah, Arthur?" Charles asked as he sat back down and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wait till everybody has calmed down some, then see what everybody else remembers. Though I'm guessing at all of it. Then I don't know, vote on best death?" Arthur shrugged, still fogged.

“Everybody is gonna want a piece of him. I owe him a knife in the gut for sure." Sadie growled.

Arthur squinted at her, "Your handling this well. "

Sadie shrugged and flapped a hand, "I ain't the hysterical type, you know that. I'm alive again, though I wish my Jake was too."

 

       Across the camp, Hosea had somehow got a hold of a bucket and was chasing Dutch with it, whacking him wherever he could reach. Dutch just kept running in and out and around the wagons screaming, " I had a plan!" he crashed into Bill as he stepped out of his tent, tripping Hosea. The bucket went flying and clocked Javier as  _he_  stumbled out of a tent. Arthur snorted a laugh then clutched his head. "Goddamn, why's my head hurt so much?"

"Micah shot you in the forehead. Sean feels the same way, was caterwauling that his head felt like it exploded. Which it kinda did." Sadie said matter of fact.

"Go pull Hosea off Dutch, please. I wanna hear what Dutch has to say for himself." Arthur waved in the general direction of Charles and then the others. He groaned and slid down to sit beside Sadie’s legs, back against the rock. "Think this is hell?" he mumbled, eyes closed.

Sadie snorted and patted him on the head like a particularly dense puppy. "No, cause I was still alive yesterday. So was Charles and the Marston’s. And Uncle."

Arthur looked up, "Where is that old drunk anyway?"

Sadie pointed at the tree beside Dutch's tent. There was Uncle, still passed out against the trunk and snoring away. He snorted something that sounded suspiciously like "lumbago" and slid further to the left.

 

      Tilly, Karen and Mary-Beth were in a group hug and crying and talking all at the same time when Arthur cracked an eye open. He quickly closed it against the weak morning sun. There was a resounding clang, but he refused to open his eyes again. Hurt too damn much. "What happened?"

"Molly chucked a frypan at Mrs. Grimshaw. Missed and hit the wagon behind her." Sadie commented like she was watching the weather, that is to say, not really caring.

Arthur hummed, "Feels good to take a proper breath again. I ain't going nowhere near Downes this time. " There was another loud screech and a clang. Sadie answered before he even had to ask.

"Tin plate. Missed again. I see why she never carried a gun or went robbin’ with you boys."

Arthur hmmd in agreement. "I'm surprised nobodies drawn a gun yet. "

"I don't think they actually want to kill anybody. Except Micah. Hosea feels betrayed and he's angry with Dutch. Molly is angry that Mrs. Grimshaw shot her. I thinking she's missing on purpose, cause Grimshaw sure as hell ain’t trying to dodge very hard." Sadie huffed. 

"I vote Dutch not be allowed to make plans anymore, and Micah gets staked out in the sun for the buzzards." Arthur sighed. "Wait no, that ain't fair on the buzzards, makin’ em’ eat that greasy bastard. Can we do gators instead? Dangle him just far enough above the water, the gators gotta jump for him? So's they can’t eat him whole?"

"Ooh good idea, I was leaning more towards staking him out over a slow burning fire. Letting him slowly cook from the inside. Heard it takes days that way."

      Charles walked back over after forcibly making Hosea sit between Lenny and Swanson. "You can live a week without a scalp, but it's not a good week. I've seen it."

"Yeah but who wants a greasy hank of hair? " Sadie laughed as she bumped shoulders with the large man. Sean wobbled over and slid down beside Arthur. 

"How’s about we skin the bastard. Karen said I was dead before it really went to hell. Is it true Kieran lost his head?" The ginger gestured at the Duffy/Strauss pile.

"Yeah, the O’Driscoll's sent him riding into camp, tied to his horse and holding his own head."

"Jesus." Sean blanched at the mental image, and absent mindedly rubbed the side of his head again. "can't believe I got my brains spattered like that."

 

     Little Jack cannonballed into Arthur, his little knees to the gut driving all the air out of him. "Uncle Arthur, Uncle Arthur! I had the funniest dream!"

Arthur hugged the boy as Abigail and John came over, both red eyed and tear streaked. "did ya now? You tell me what it was about later ok?"

John squeezed Abigail where he had an arm around her waist. "thank you, brother, for everything."

Fresh tears coursed down Abigail’s face, "oh Arthur. How can we ever repay you?"

"Debts been paid. Sadie said you lived, s'all I wanted." Arthur gave Jack another hug and sighed into his soft hair.

"What are we gonna do now?"

"Talk to everybody and see what they all wanna do I guess. I reckon lots of folks'll be leaving soon as Micah’s dealt with."

"What about Dutch? He left me to die."

"I know, me too. He was there when I fought with Micah on that mountain. Didn't say nothing, just walked away and let him shoot me."

"Me, Sadie and Charles tracked Micah up to Mount Hagen. Dutch was there, Arthur. He shot Micah when he had a knife on Sadie. He raised us, but there's something real wrong with him now. I don't know what to do." John rested his chin on Abigail’s head as he hugged her.

"We'll figure something out."

"I read about this thing the Vikings used to do, called a blood eagle..."

* * *

 

     

       Dutch sat at the poker table, alone. All the others were facing him, even Javier and Bill. He rubbed his jaw and winced as he touched the darkening bruises. For once he had run out of words. "Everybody, have a little.. no I  can't say that. I have a .. no I can't say that either.” He sighed and started again.  “Look, Micah is in the Strawberry jail,  _right_ now. I say we go and get him and take him somewhere real quiet,  _without_  letting him shoot up the town. Then we serve a little justice upon him before we all go on our separate ways."

 

      Arthur and Charles went into Strawberry posing as bounty hunters. The sheriff handed Micah over, bound, gagged and blindfolded as per request. They had no problem handing the "raving lunatic" over for transport to Blackwater. The pair brought him far away from any civil place or any witnesses. Those as wanted revenge were all waiting. They tied Micah's wrists to two different trees, so he was upright but spread eagled. Karen whipped the blindfold off, and pulled the gag out before stepping back so Micah could see Dutch and Arthur. Micah turned pasty white and started stuttering, "Dutch ole buddy, ole pal of mine uh, what do you, uh remember exactly?"

      Dutch said nothing, he just beckoned Molly over. He handed her one of his guns and she lined up her shot. Micah screeched as her bullet shattered his kneecap. She stepped back and gestured to the next person. On and on it went, each person taking a turn to put a bullet somewhere imminently painful but ultimately non-fatal. Finally, as night fell, only Dutch and Arthur were left. Dutch slowly walked up, and looking Micah in the eye, slid a knife into his chest. Near but not actually in his heart, never once breaking eye contact. He stepped back, turned and walked away, fading into the darkness. Arthur stepped forward and spun the chamber on his revolver. He cocked the hammer back and placed the muzzle against Micah's forehead. Pulled the trigger. Click. Empty chamber. Spun again. Click. Empty chamber. Arthur was toying with him. Micah hollered with what breath he had left, "Come on black lung! or are you too chicken to shoot me?!"

      Click, the hammer pulled back, the chamber spun and with a crack, the full chamber expended itself as Micah’s head snapped back. A fine bloody mist coated Arthur’s face as bits of skull and brain painted the trees to either side. Arthur wiped his gun and face clean with the handkerchief in his pocket. Everybody splintered off, some leaving and never looking back. Some rode away together, before going their separate ways. the Van Der Linde Gang was done, never to ride together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmm, this one got a little dark... not like he doesnt deserve it though...


	4. wildlife and sadie

 In which the wildlife is _Not_ your friend

(Guarma v2)

 

"Anybody seen Micah?" Dutch asked as he looked around, like he expected the man to be right there.

Bill grunted "haven't seen 'im."

"What about you, Arthur?"

"Nope. Though you might wanna ask that big snake over there." Arthur pointed over Dutch's shoulder. A big boa was draped in a tree, a suspiciously large lump in its middle, still faintly moving.

Bill squinted at it, "Could just be a pig?"

Arthur gave him a look and scoffed, "it ain't."

(I'm not saying Arthur watched it eat him, but im also _not_  not saying that, you get me?)

* * *

 

In which Sadie is a bit quicker

(Adler Ranch)

Arthur had just tied the big paint up when he heard the scream and the crash from inside the cabin. He and Dutch shared a look before bolting for the door. Micah had a blonde woman cornered and was chasing her around the table. "she's an O'Driscoll!"  he hollered.

Before Dutch could say ' _no she ain't, look at her!_ ' The woman gave a feral screech and was across the table quicker than any could blink. She sank the heretofore unseen knife up to the hilt in Micah's chest. The blonde man hit the floor with a thud, an expression of shock on his face. Dead, before he even hit the ground. Dutch's eyes widened before he carefully walked towards the woman. His hands up to show no harm. "Miss, we mean you no harm."

The woman swung the knife at him, but he gently caught her wrist. he talked her down and into coming with them. As they walked past the table, the woman stumbled and hit the lantern with her elbow. It landed on Micah's body, instantly engulfing it before it spread. They put the woman up on Micah's now unneeded horse and the three rode into the howling snow as the house went up like a torch.

* * *

 

 

 


	5. quick draw and Colm

 In which Arthur is the quick draw champ

(Clemens Point )

*There's little scene in camp where Micah is playing with his gun, if Arthur walks over, he pretends to shoot him. Got me thinking*

 

Micah was sitting at the main table, fiddling with his gun, when Arthur walked over to antagonize him. Now poor Arthur cant be blamed for what happened next. Though Dutch tried, because he frowns on murder within the boundary of the camp proper. Arthur was a might bit twitchy from all the goings on, and he wasn't fully awake yet neither. As he walked up, Micah threw his gun up like he aiming to shoot Arthur, cocky grin pasted on his face. Arthur's gun had cleared leather and fired before he even processed the motion. Micah fell over backwards, blood blossoming from the perfect hole in his chest.

"Shit" Arthur grunted as he looked between the body and his gun, like he couldn't believe that had just happened.

"What have you done, Arthur!"

"I, he drew on me Dutch!"

 

(it's ok, Arthur. Big camp, lots of witnesses, you'll be fine.)

* * *

In which Colm takes two

(Blessed are the Peacemakers mission)

*i've always wondered how they grabbed Arthur but Dutch and Micah get away. They were outnumbered after all)

Arthur heard the boot-steps run up behind him, and he turned just as the butt of a rifle smashed him into unconsciousness. When he woke, it was find himself upside down, and a fiery pain in his shoulder. He looked around as well as he could through one eye swelled mostly closed, his vision hazy and red. Arthur heard a quiet grunt and  looked to his left, and there was Micah. He looked worse than Arthur felt. Arthur squinted as the door opened and a bright light moved down the stairs, revealing Colm's smug face. 

After Colm was done beating on the pair and had left, Arthur spotted a small file on the table. He started to swing his aching body first right , then left. He snatched the file as he finally gained enough momentum. Arthur pulled himself up till he could reach the ties around his ankles, getting them off, he dropped to the ground with a whump. He lay there for a few seconds trying to breathe through the pain. Leaving Micah where he was , he tottered over to the table. Arthur used the file and a shotgun shell to cauterize the wound. The smell must have woke Micah, because he called to get Arthur's attention. "Hey cowpoke, cut me down!"

Arthur very slowly turned and looked at the other man, "No. S'all your fault. Somehow, always your fault." he pushed out through an aching jaw.

"Come on, don't be like that! We're brothers! Son's of Dutch!"

"No. I am, you ain't. " Before Arthur could say anything more, he heard voices coming from the trap door. Fearing the other man would give him away, Arthur grabbed a hammer off a nearby shelf and walloped Micah in the head with it. The blonde gently rotated with the hit and Arthur used the distraction to stab the man coming down the stairs. He crept his way up and out on unsteady feet, leaving the other man behind. He didn't care what happened to him anymore. Arthur took out another guard with a found throwing knife and heaved himself up on a nearby horse. As he dodged s patrol and slowly made his way home, he passed out.

He woke briefly, when he hit the ground. He was in camp again, the horse had carried him home. When Arthur was a bit less fevered, Dutch asked him if he had seen Micah. To which Arthur replied, "He's dead Dutch, if they even had him. " Arthur fully believed that in his anger over his getting away, Colm would kill Micah, if Arthur's hammer blow hadn't already. A few days later, a package arrived for Dutch at the Rhodes post office. When he opened it, a flesh colored bundle and a note was inside. With horror, Dutch realized it wasn't flesh _colored_ , it _was_ flesh. Micah's skin, peeled from his body.   _"He died screaming."_ was all the note said. It was signed Colm.

 

*Micah isn't Dutch's main enforcer, his left hand man, with Hosea being the right. So Colm had no reason to believe Dutch would come for him. Micah had only been running with Dutch for six month's, so Colm didn't see him as valuable.  Hell Arthur doubted Dutch would come for _him_ , so... _*_

* * *

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also fully believe that Arthur was healthy enough to fight off the TB, if he hadn't been captured and tortured. Plunging his immune system into an all time low. He doesn't start to cough until their at Shady Belle, and it's just little ones at first, here and there. Then Guarma happened, and the TB really took hold in his weakened body.


	6. Colm again

In which Colm is opportunistic

(Horsemen, Apocalypses mission)

* Camp has sentries, how did Keiran's body AND all them O'Driscolls get by them? Unless Keiran _was_ the sentry...*

 Arthur and Dutch were on the balcony of Shady Bell, smoking cigars and discussing the trolley heist. Dutch turned as he heard the slow thud of a horse entering camp. Far as he knew, everybody was in camp at the moment, barring the sentries, Micah and Keiran. Mary-Beth started screaming as a headless body tied to a horse stopped by the fountain. The horse was Baylock, so that meant the body was...

"Dear lord, it's Micah!"

"What have they done to him!"

After the battle was over and cleanup began, Dutch instructed John and Swanson to bury Micah somewhere near, but not too near. If they "accidentally" let his body slip into the lagoon with the other trash, well... least the gators were good for something. 

 

*side note, I didn't see Micah during the fight. Not out front and Not at a window.*

* * *

 


	7. Train and stagecoach

In which there is a train

(inspired by all those 'beat the train' getaways)

 

Micah, Bill, Lenny and Arthur were trying to out run the bounty hunters that Micah had brought down on them. Bill and Micah had the 'I don't have to outrun the bounty hunters, just you' thing going on, while Arthur and Lenny just wanted to get the hell away from there. The four were running for the tracks, hoping to get across before the train could cut them off. Lenny, Bill and Arthur made it and turned just in time to see Micah's horse buck him off, Baylock having had enough of the vicious spurring. 

_Smoosh!_

"holy shit!" Lenny yelped as they watched Micah's body go thwipping past, plastered to the front of the train.

"Huh, guess [cowcatchers](https://riogrande.c.blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blog/_169/riogrande/zebra_08-d82be.jpg?c=a1) work on people too..."

*Obviously Baylock survives, I'm not that mean.*

*say the noise thwip out loud and you'll get the noise I was going for*

 

* * *

 

In which there is a stagecoach

(Rob a coach with Micah mission)

* ** _bold italics_** is actual gameplay*

" _ **T** **here's a good spot we can hit it as it comes through the swamps, north of here**_." Micah says as he walks toward the horses. 

" _ **Y** **ou got an actual plan this time?**_ " Arthur is skeptical, fool me twice and all that.

" ** _I got three sticks of dynamite, I got two pistols, I got you and Bill, that count as a plan?_** "

 ** _"Not really, but lets go_**."

Micah said he would plant the explosive in the road, Arthur would have really preferred if he or hell, even Bill had done it. Despite that one time Bill fucked up and he had had to run and then jump on the roof of a moving train.  As Micah knelt down with the dynamite, Arthur and Bill hid behind opposing trees. Micah stood up and threw one last insult Arthur's way. " ** _Y **o** u gonna shoot the charges Morgan? About time you did something useful."_**

'Oh i'll shoot the charges alright _."_ Arthur muttered to himself, "ta hell with you, Micah." He popped around the side of the tree, to see Micah's smug face shift to fear as Arthur pulled the trigger.

Boom!

"The hell, Morgan!"

"Aw I'm sorry Bill, my hand twitched. Must still be damaged from them O'Driscolls shooting me, now lets rob us a coach."

*This mission reeeeaaalllly cements how fucking nasty Micah is as a person,

he keeps talking about how the girls wont touch him, even if he held a gun to their head. How they should cut the dead weight.

There's even a line where he says he told Dutch that he thinks John has turned rat! He say's it right after he says Abigail is his type of woman.*

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, I'm not real pleased with these two, but Micah isn't in on a lot of missions in the Shady Belle chapter.


	8. Not Placid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> here it is, folks. the one you have been waiting for!

In which the lake is _not_ placid

(lagras/lakay)

*yes, that is a reference to a giant man eating alligator movie*

. ** _..when it comes to prehistoric monsters, I absolutely am a coward- Arthur Morgan_**

 

"Why lookie there, Morgan, it's your buddy." Micah pointed out the large white snout as it broke the water, followed by cold yellow eyes.

Arthur swallowed hard, he remembered that big white gator. The fear as he half ran, half swam for the skiff, Jules over his shoulder. Dutch shooting and screaming " _don't look back, just keep going!_ " oh yes, Arthur remembered that prehistoric monster. He also vividly recalled emptying clip after clip of bullets into the fucking thing and it doing _nothing_. 

Arthur very carefully pulled John back toward the center of the boat with him, as the head suddenly disappeared under the murky water. Dutch leaned out of the side of boat, drowning Bronte and ranting, with Micah egging him on. Dutch shoved the Italian's limp body over the side of the boat and watched as the gators converged. As they made their way back to the dock, there was a grinding bump, and the boat stopped. Arthur's heart near stopped with it, and his grip on John's arm tightened painfully as the smaller man made to move. He shook his head and pulled John down into a crouch.

"Boat must be stuck." Micah grunted as he stepped toward the prow. Arthur wanted to scream, "it's not, it's not!" he remembered that big gator stopping the boat before, but Dutch obviously didn't.

"Micah, take a look. See if you can move whatever it is." Dutch ordered as he readied his guns. Maybe he did remember, Arthur wasn't sure and at the moment really didn't care. 

Micah sneered as he looked back over his shoulder and caught sight of Arthur and John, hiding in the bottom of the boat. "What's the matter Morgan! You've turned coward!" Micah turned back as there was a horrifically loud roar and an even bigger spray of water. The huge beast launched himself up out of the water and grabbed Micah around the middle, the blonde had time for one short scream as he was dragged over the side. A huge blood bubble broke the surface as the water roiled. Arthur couldn't help himself, he started to laugh, mostly in relief that it wasn't him. Arthur laughed till he had tears streaming down his face and at Dutch's disapproving face and John's shell shocked one, he laughed harder, "Guess he didn't like Italian!"

 

*I don't care how tough Arthur is, he's still human. After fighting off that legendary alligator,

if you don't shit yourself the next time he comes around, you are too stupid, or too crazy to live. That thing moves far faster than it has any right to, as evidenced by the fact it ate me _twice_ when I hunted it.

It crossed half a swamp, in deadeye mind, and kept coming with 14 shots from a litchfield repeater in its snoot.*

* * *

 

 


	9. Social Call

In which there is a Social Call

(Annesburg)

*I am well aware that Micah acts as lookout and goes to get the papers, instead of being on the dock*

 

"Well, well, Micah Bell. Pinkertons know your off your leash boy?" Cornwall crowed. The fact Dutch had a gun trained on him didn't seem to matter. All three of the outlaws turned white-faced, for three very different reasons. Micah spluttered and very slowly tried to inch away from Dutch. Arthur stepped up and stopped him. 

"You wanna say that again friend? I must have something in my ears, cause that sounded like you was saying Micah is a rat?" It was Arthur who said this because it seems Dutch had been struck dumb. 

"I have the Pinkertons in my pocket boy, you think i don't know who their informants are? Oh yes, that one has belonged to us since before the Blackwater Massacre." Cornwall pointed a fat finger at Micah, who turned an even paler shade.

"Dutch, he's lying. I ain't a rat Dutch! Its John or, or Arthur here! Yeah that's right." Arthur had to give him credit, he was still trying to work his way out of the deep hole he was in. Finally Dutch made a noise, a deep gasp, like a drowning man pulling in much needed air. He fired five quick shots, one for Cornwall and one for each of his guards before spinning around to face Micah. 

"Is it true? Did you betray us, betray _me_?!" Dutch roars as he takes quick, hard steps to put him in Micah's face.

"We gotta go Dutch! Guards'll be coming to check those shots!" Arthur urged the agitated man.

 Dutch didn't answer, instead he kicked Micah in the balls, and as he was going down, fired one last shot into the rats face. "ah hell, Pinkertons!"

If anybody had stuck around during the running gun battle that followed, they would have heard Arthur yelling at Dutch, "your cheese has slid so far off your cracker, you cant even see the damn cracker!" and if Arthur happened to ' _accidentally on purpose_ ' crack Dutch over the head and leave him behind, well who's to say really?

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know folks, i seem to be running out of steam/ideas. any help would be greatly appreciated. tell me a death, and i'll try and write it.


	10. Stagecoach version 2

In which there is a stagecoach

*anybody who chose to shoot the lockbox on a coach will understand the frustration of the coach horses taking off and having to chase them down*

As requested by Savannah: a stagecoach and a bit of Javier.

“Come on, Morgan! Shoot the damn lockbox already!” Micah snarled from the front of the coach where he and Javier had ahold of the lead pair of horses.

“Yeah, yeah, just.. Hold your horses. Heh hold your horses.” Arthur yelled then chuckled when he realized what he had said. “Here goes nothing.”

CRACK

The lock fell off as with a terrified cry, the team of belgians took off. Javier fell backwards into the mud, safely out of the way. 

“Dammit, you were supposed to be holding them! Where's Micah?!” Arthur snapped as he jogged up to Javier, who wiped mud off his face and pointed. “Think the horses are dragging him, amigo.”

“Well shit. Think we should chase our hard-earned money or we got time for a smoke first?” Arthur scoffed. Javier just grinned as he tried in vain to wipe more mud off. It just seemed to spread it though, so he looked like something out of one of Jack’s storybooks.

“They won’t go far, they never do. Deserted road, late at night. We smoke.” The Mexican clapped the bigger man on the shoulder, inadvertently leaving a muddy hand print. Javier quickly tucked his hands behind his back, hoping Arthur wouldn’t notice.

By the time the pair decided to catch up the wagon, all they had to do was listen for the screams. Micah was tangled up in the traces behind the rear pair of horses, a hairsbreadth from the front wheel. The pair ignored Micah and cleaned out the lockbox. Arthur counted the money. “Didn’t loose too much when they took off.”

“You greasy fucking Mexican bastard, get me out of here!”

“I wouldn’t shout like that, you might frighten the horses.” Javier smiled down at the irate Micah as he patted the nearest horse. “Hey, Arthur, what do you think? Should we get him out?” 

Arthur looked Micah dead in the eye and said, “oh look, Javier. There’s a  _second_ lockbox back here. “

“Better shoot that lock off too.” Javier stepped back as he caught on.

“You wouldn’t, Morgan.”

“Oh, I absolutely would. World don’t need your kind running around, making it shittier than it already is.” Arthur smiled serenely as he fired his pistol into the air.  He turned to Javier as they watched the horses take off again and crush Micah beneath the wheels, “Whew you need a damn river-dip my friend.”

“Sorry Dutch, the horses spooked and they couldn’t hold em...”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so far the people who haven't killed Micah are:  
> Charles  
> Javier ( though he helps in this one)  
> Keiran (he was in the one with the Count)  
> Strauss  
> Tilly, Karen, Molly or Mary-Beth  
> Mrs. Grimshaw  
> Reverend Swanson  
> Pearson  
> Trelawney  
> Lenny(he was in the train one)  
> Bill ( though he has been in few )  
> Hosea  
> John, Abigail or Jack  
> Sean  
> Uncle (though i just imagine him popping up, going "lumbago" till Micah kills himself. (think Sheldon in the ball pit going bazinga!)  
> actually, i kinda wanna write that one now...
> 
> (well, they all shot him in the resurrection one, but they haven't had the starring role.)
> 
> who has killed him:  
> misfortune, bad timing, Arthur, Sadie, wild animals, Arthur again, Dutch, Arthur, train, Arthur, stagecoach....


	11. Lumbago!

In which there is lumbago

(I had to, and I am not sorry)

"lumbago!" Uncle popped up behind Micah , then ran for it.

"yeeargh come on Dutch. lemme kill him!" Micah begging vastly amuses the other man.

"No." Dutch doesn't even look up, just keeps reading his paper.

 

"lumbago!" every time Micah turns around, there's Uncle.

"two days Dutch! two days of this! come on lemme me shoot him! just once!" Micah's on his knees, his eyes are bloodshot from no sleep.

"No." Dutch places another domino down, squinting at Tilly.

 

"lumbago!" Uncle popped up as Micah tried to take a piss.

"aaaaahhhhhhh!" Micah's boots are now decidedly wet.

 

"lumbago!"

bang!

 

"oh he's shot himself.." the Reverend commented as he strolled by in a morphine haze

"yes thank you Swanson, outstanding observation..." Hosea flicked bits of brain off his hasty newspaper shield.

 

"lumbago!"

 

_Best ten bucks Arthur ever spent.._

__

* * *

 


	12. Lightning

In which there is lightning

(Valentine)

 

Javier and Micah had been tasked with fetching the Reverend, who had wandered off in another morphine haze. After the last time, when Arthur and Swanson had almost been creamed by a train, Arthur refused to go again. The pair scraped the Reverend off the saloon floor in Valentine, literally scraped, as he had passed out in a pool of something and was stuck to the floor. They left the feather boa around his neck though. Best not to ask too many questions. Micah refused to have the twitchy little man ride with him, so he rode ahead, rifle at the ready. Javier just sighed and pushed the man up on Boaz before getting on.

"Shoulda just left him there. He's just dead weight." Micah grumbled.

"Hey hold up, he's fallen off!" Javier had to stop and turn back to pick the Reverend up, a fact he thanked God for everyday.

With an almighty cracka-boom, lightning split the sky and struck the tip of Micah's rifle. Javier fell back onto Swanson and Boaz booked it.

"madre de dios!" Javier rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Swanson wiggled his way out from under the Mexican, his hair even more on end. The Reverend ran for the faintly smoking corpse of Micah and Baylock before falling on his knees before the bodies. He threw his hands up in the air and hollered, "I believe! I'll behave, i'll never touch the morphia again!"

Javier grabbed Swanson's arms and pulled them down, "Reverend, you wanna be next! we gotta go!" 

When Javier walked back into camp, the Reverend slung over his shoulder and babbling gibberish about God and smiting, the others naturally stopped and stared. Javier unloaded the Reverend in front of Dutch's tent. 

"Where's Micah?" Dutch demanded.

Javier snorted, "You wouldn't believe me if i told you, Compadre."

"Try me." Dutch's mustache twitched in annoyance.

"He got struck by lightning. Don't believe me, he's about a mile back up the road. Just follow the smell."

* * *

 

*sorry Baylock. Yours was a noble sacrifice for the sake of plot*

*i have seen cows struck by lightning, trust me when i say its a smell that stays with you. sometimes literally as it permeates your clothes.

burnt hair does not begin to cover it, it is also charred meat, burnt ozone and perforated intestines...*

 

 

_A **dry**  thunderstorm or heat storm is a thunderstorm that produces thunder and  **lightning** , _

_but most or all of its precipitation evaporates before reaching the ground._

_**Dry lightning**  refers to  **lightning**  strikes occurring in this situation. literally, a bolt out of the blue._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> madre de dios- mother of god  
> compadre- godfather- i imagine that javier doesnt call dutch dad, or just friend. so i went with godfather, like the mafia. a title of respect.
> 
> seriously though, could you imagine how it would look to a reverand, strung out on morphine, for lightning to hit the most unrepentant, nasty sinner he knows?


	13. Hookers and frying pans

 In which there is scorned hooker's

(Valentine hotel)

*suggested by Scarletlocks

 

Micah had just lowered himself into the bath when a knock came at the door. "You need some help in there, sugar?"

He grinned lecherously and called out, "well hell, come on in."

A dainty blonde woman waltzed in and took up position behind him. As she scrubbed his hair he said, "don't think I've seen you around here before."

"I'm new. Your my first client." She gave a shy smile and continued scrubbing. Micah's eyes closed as he grunted in pleasure, before flying open as he felt the prick of cold metal under his jaw. He rolled his eyes up to see the woman behind him. Gone was the demure look, replaced by hard, cold eyes. The tiny blonde gripped a fistful of Micah's hair and hauled his head back, exposing more of his neck. "I got him girls!"

The door cracked open and four more working girls filed in, all sporting vicious grins. "You thought you could smack us around, take us and not pay us, make us do depraved things and then walk back in here?" the tiny blonde, apparently the leader hissed. "We're whores but we're still people! What you think girls, drown him in the tub or slit his throat?" Blondie gave Micah's head a little shake, and a few crimson droplets ran down his throat.

"Throatslittin's too quick fer the likes of him. I say drownin 's the way to go." A brunette said as she glared. "What you other's think?" a dark haired woman, a redhead and another blonde all shared a look before turning to look at their tiny leader. "Drown him." All the woman stepped forward and put hands on Micah, before they all pushed down. Micah snarled and spat , thrashed and fought as he was shoved under. The woman pushed harder till the twitching stopped, before letting go. They walked out, leaving the pasty corpse behind, partially obscured by happy little white soap bubbles.

 

* * *

 

In which there is fry pan 

(Horseshoe Overlook)

 *suggested by Scarletlocks

 

_**You know how I am in a fight, like a cornered tiger! -Pearson** _

 

Pearson was de-boning a rabbit for the evening stew when he heard a clatter and a soft cry from behind his wagon. Leaving the cleaver, he instead grabbed his heavy cast iron skillet. Holding it with both hands like a club he leaned around the corner of the wagon. Mary-beth was trapped up against the wagon by Micah, a book clasped to her chest like a shield. As Pearson watched, Micah slowly drew his hand up Mary-Beth's dress covered thigh, a dirty leer on his face. Pearson had seen enough and with a cry he charged forward. He brought the heavy pan down on Micah's unprotected shoulders and when the slimy man turned on him with a curse, gave him another whack in the guts. Then he gave him another to the head for good measure, before turning to Mary-Beth. "Frying pans, who knew right? You okay?"

Mary-Beth's eyes were huge while she panted as the fear left her. "You, you killed him."

"Don't care who you are, nobody hurts you girls." And then Mary-Beth did something she never in a million years thought she would, she flung her book down and hugged Pearson. Who looked mildly shocked and uncomfortable before he awkwardly patted the younger girl on the head. "You run along and get Mrs. Grimshaw. We'll deal with this." The large man said as he gave the body a little kick.

Pearson was glad it was dark out as he and Susan dragged the body over to the cliff edge before kicking it over. He was also glad that most of the other men were out on a job, so nobody would say anything. Arthur had reported seeing a pack of wolves just across the river, so hopefully they would come in and take care of the body before Dutch got back.

 

"Sorry Dutch, he rode out a day ago talking about a stagecoach job. Haven't seen him since..."

 

*Samwise Gamgee would be so proud. Can anybody else see Pearson saying that famous line, 'po-tay-tos. boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew!'*

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely believe Micah is capable of raping one of the girls, given half a chance. All his interaction with the women in camp, especially Abigail just scream: rapist, monster, murderer to me.


	14. Train jobs and Women

In which there is a train job

(Our Best Selves mission )

*I know Bill jumps on when John is shot, but for the plot, lets just say Micah jumps next and lands next to John, yeah?*

 

Arthur heard the bark of a rifle, watched the blood spray as the bullet hit Marston. _John, gotta call him John now, he's earned that..._

Watched as John's arm's pinwheeled, looking to grab anything to save himself as he fell backward. _Please don't fall under the train..._

Saw as the smaller man's hand found purchase in the back of Micah's duster, bending the blonde over backward. _A good last act..._

Felt it as both men disappeared over the edge of the moving platform, his newly rediscovered brother and his enemy. _goodbye, brother..._

 

*aw I made myself sad... at least we know John lives*

 

* * *

 

In which women are vicious

(Beaver Hollow)

*suggested by Savannah

 

Arthur slowly rode back into camp after coming back from sending Abigail and Sadie away. He called Micah out as the remainder of the people in camp stepped forward. Arthur and Micah both pulled their guns at the same time, a standoff. Arthur turned to look as John came stumbling up the hill hollering at Dutch.

Susan stepped up, shotgun in hand, ordering Micah to put his guns down. Javier ran up hollering the Pinkertons were coming. Micah threw his guns up and aimed at Mrs Grimshaw. but Susan hadn't taken her eyes off the rat, and she quickly unloaded her shotgun into the bastard's chest...

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've just finished the game as Arthur for the second time, so I'll be a bit of a mess for a while. The next chapter wont be funny, at all...
> 
> the tally:  
> had killed him-  
> arthur X7  
> sadie  
> john  
> dutch  
> the greys  
> hercule  
> strauss/downes  
> the count  
> big guarma boa  
> colm X2  
> train  
> stagecoach  
> legendary gator  
> uncle "lumbago!"  
> lightning strike  
> pearson  
> susan grimshaw  
> angry hookers
> 
> who hasnt had the starring role:  
> charles- that one's next  
> javier  
> bill  
> keiran  
> molly  
> mary-beth  
> karen  
> abiagail  
> jack-this ones after the charles one  
> tilly  
> lenny  
> trelawney-he's a talker and thus hard to get right  
> hosea  
> sean
> 
> i have chapters planned out for everybody except bill, keiran and trelawney. because i honestly have no idea what works for them.


	15. Pyrrhic Victory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first playthrough, i was high honor Arthur all the way. my second playthrough however, i played it as low honor Arthur, in the beginning. a bad man who sometimes did good things. till Sean died, then i had him try and do more good things and stop beating and robbing random folk who looked at him funny. after guarma, he instead tried to do even more good things, gave money to all who needed it, since you cant take it with you. absolved debts, helped everybody who he came across. by the time i finished, i had gone from the lowest possible honor to the highest. which to me, was a true redemption story.

In which there is a Pyrrhic victory.

 

Arthur fired at the Pinkerton's, each breath aching like rusty nails were lodged in his chest. He killed the last of the three agents on the slope below him, then turned to keep running. A heavy weight crashed down on him, and he was rolled over to come face to face with Micah. Arthur spat at the heavier man as he shoved him away, but the rat started punching him in the face. Arthur heaved and they both rolled over the cliff, landing with a heavy thump. Arthur felt something burst in his chest as he tried to draw in a breath. The pair began to beat on another, each fighting to kill the other.

Arthur knew he wasn't going to have the strength for a long fight, so he kicked Micah back as hard as he could, and drew his knife. Arthur slashed at Micah's vulnerable chest and stomach, opening long rents in his forearms as the rat tried to block. Arthur gave one last desperate slash, at the end of his strength. The knife caught Micah in his lower belly, and Arthur gave a vicious jerk. Micah gasped as the knife slid through his flesh, his hands going to hold his guts in. Arthur fell backwards as Micah lurched toward him. The downed man kicked feebly at Micah's knee, hoping to bring him down before Micah could get at the gun laying on the nearby ground.

A kick connected and Micah fell, his face impacting the ground. The rat weakly stirred and then went still, as Arthur rolled over and crawled away. He watched the sun rise, pinks and oranges painting the sky. The sun rose, and a man drew his last breath. The sun set, and a golden buck, fur shining like the last of the light was caught in it, walked away from a mountain.

 

 

_*A Pyrrhic victory is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat._

_Someone who wins a Pyrrhic victory has also taken a heavy toll that negates any true sense of achievement.  *_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dutch is a few minutes later here, so they both have died by the time he gets there. It is Dutch who suffers the Pyrrhic victory, as Arthur accomplished what he wanted, that being John got away and Micah died. if Arthur has high Honor the writing on his tombstone will be “Blessed Are Those That Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness” or if Arthur had low Honor his tombstone will say “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn For They Will Be Comforted


	16. Vetter's Echo

In which there is a cabin

(Vetter's echo)

*suggested by Scarletlocks

"You don't wanna talk to me, boy? "Micah sneered as they rode the trail down to some cabin Charles had found.

"Dutch asked me to bring you, doesn't mean I need to talk to you. Now shut up." Charles softly said to the man riding beside him. "It's just a little further."

The cabin was a little one room shack, but Charles said there was supposed a lock box buried under the floor. 

"You go in the front, while I check out the back." Charles said as he went around the corner.

 Micah kicked the door open, only to come face to snout with a massive bear. "Oh fuck me!" he yelped as the bear grabbed him and scrubbed him into the floor like a dirty shirt. Micah punched at the bear, trying to break free, but to no avail. With one last hard crunch, the bear bit through Micah's spine. It settled down to eat it's prize as Charles quietly climbed out of the tree he had hid in.

Charles approached the back of the cabin, where a massive hole was. The bears point of entry. Charles raised his rifle and calmly shot the bear through the back of it's skull. The large man stepped inside and kicking Micah's mauled body aside, began the monumental task of skinning the giant bear. Had to bring the proof back to Dutch after all.

 

"Sorry Dutch, a giant bear ate him. here's the skin though..."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stumbled across that gods be damned cabin at 4 am. 'oh fuck me' is what i screamed, and that bear did scrub poor arthur into the floor before he broke free and shot it. my heart went a million miles an hour, damn jump scare tactic. heard a bear noise, so thought 'oh ill go inside. ill be safe in there'. blow through the door and theres a bear roaring in my face...


	17. Mans best friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How old is Jack anyway? if he's 4-6, that makes him 12 in the epilogue, but 16 in RDR1. if anybody knows, tell me and ill fix it, but for now im going to say he's either 4 or just avoid saying his age. In 1899, Abigail had been with the gang for 5-6 years so idk.
> 
> Edit: (reddeadwiki)- jack was born in 1895, making him 5 in 1899 during the game.  
> 1907- when beechers hope is built, he's13ish  
> 1911-in RDR1- he's 17ish  
> 1914- RDR1 epilogue-he's 20ish.  
> he also has an unnamed sister that dies.

In which there is man's best friend

(Clemen's Point)

Micah had Jack by the arm in a bruising grip, down by the shore. The little boys fishing rod, forgotten at their feet. Micah gave Jack a vicious shake, "Where is it, you little brat?"

"That hurts, lemme go! MOMMA!" Jack screamed. Abigail was by Pearson's wagon when she heard her son wail in terror. With Karen and her group robbing the Valentine bank, and most of the other's out on various other jobs, Abigail, Jack, Mrs. Grimshaw, Mary-Beth and Tilly were the only ones in camp. Even Pearson had gone into town for supplies, taking Molly with him, who wanted to look at clothes.

"Where is he, where's my son!" Abigail called, before she heard another scream of "MOMMA!" coming from the direction of the lake. Fearing that her son was drowning, Abigail hitched up her skirts and ran for the dock, the other women following. She skidded down the bank as she saw Micah shake her son again, roaring in his face, spittle flying. Abigail crashed into him and started hitting him with her fists, trying to get him to drop her boy. Micah released Jack, who turned and ran for Tilly. The blonde gave Abigail a vicious backhand, splitting her lip and knocking her down.

Mary-Beth screamed as a dark blur shot past her feet, a deep rumbling growl rending the air. Susan gathered Abigail up into her arms as Cain launched himself at the man hurting _his_ people. Micah threw his arm up to protect his face, but the weight of the hound spun him around as Cain latched onto his forearm. The dog shook his whole body back and forth, working his teeth in deeper. Micah kicked out at Cain and the dog released, before circling a bit and launching himself upwards again. Fifty pounds of enraged, snarling hound hit Micah full in the chest, knocking him on his back and driving the air out of him. 

Cain scrabbled for purchase as Micah shoved against him. His jaws snapping closer and closer to that vulnerable throat as he used his weight to force Micah's arms down. The hound's feral snarling reached a crescendo as his long canines found purchase in Micah's throat. Cain ripped his head from side to side, like a terrier shaking a rat, and the blood sprayed. Stray droplets landing on Abigail and Mrs. Grimshaw where they knelt, while most soaked the dock and the hounds face and chest. Cain gave one last shake, then let go. Micah's head lolled back where Cain had near severed it. 

Cain trotted over to a shaking Abigail and gave her a bloody snuffle on the cheek. The faithful hound next trotted past Mary-Beth to where Tilly had Jack's face hidden in her skirt. The boy sobbed with all his heart, Tilly had turned him and kept telling him ' _don't look, don't look'_. So all the young boy had heard was the awful sound of Micah screaming and Cain snarling. A wet nose brushed up against his hand, and he threw himself on the dog, not noticing the blood. Jack hugged Cain as the dog's tail slowly started to wag.

 

That was how Dutch found them when he and Hosea rode in, A cooling body sprawled in a pool of blood on the dock, Jack hugging a blood encrusted dog, and crying for all he was worth. Tilly and Mary-Beth, shaking like leaves and propping each other up. Susan kneeling with Abigail, who sported a split lip and a rapidly darkening eye. Hosea dashed to Abigail after a glance ascertained that everybody else was uninjured. He gently took Abigail's chin in hand and checked her over. Dutch stood in shock at the edge of the shore. 

"What, what happened?" His voice cracked as he waved a hand to encompass the whole scene, cigar forgotten between his fingers.

Hosea was checking Abigail's jaw, so Tilly answered him. "He was shaking Jack and yelling at him something awful. We ran down here when Jack screamed. Abigail tried to get Micah away from Jack and he hit her, knocked her down."

Mary-Beth took up the telling, "Cain flew past me and attacked Micah and killed him. it was terrifying." 

 

Dutch and Hosea shared a look, before Dutch's face suffused with rage. He threw his cigar down and walked over to the others. Dutch placed a gentle hand on Susan's shoulder when she turned to look at him. "Mrs. Grimshaw, please take the others and get them cleaned up. Hosea and I will deal with this trash."

Susan nodded and corralled her ducklings, shooing them all up the way to the wash barrels, and maybe some brandy. The two leaders picked up the mangled body and hauled it up onto the back of Silver Dollar. "He doesn't deserve burying, first deep ditch is where he goes." Dutch grunted as he shoved the body into place, before they rode out.

When the others came back and heard what Cain had done, some wanted to put him down, some wanted to drive him off. But Abigail and the other three women were the loudest defenders, and when Dutch ruled the dog stayed, the others let it go. Slowly camp life resumed it's normal rhythms and nobody much missed Micah.

* * *

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this one, trying to corral a bunch of outlaws into doing what i wanted. usually i have an idea of what i want to accomplish, then i just type whatever the characters tell me. however, i feared that if i had Cain just attack Micah out of the blue, somebody would shoot the dog, claiming rabies. or if they didnt, then Abigail certainly wouldn't see him as 'safe' to be around her son anymore, and thus Cain would have to go. the only time i find a dog mauling acceptable, is in defense against a direct threat to their people. (i have been bit by a dog, for no reason. i was about 9, and when he grabbed me, i went limp and just hung there. i remember thinking, 'im not a threat, please dont shake me.' and i remember the friend i was with screaming like a stuck pig. the lady who owned the dog came out and kicked him and he let me go. i dont condone animal violence but she was probably panicking. the dog had me just above my elbow, and if he had shook me, im pretty sure he would have torn into the big vein that is right there. and yet i am not afraid of dogs.) anywhoo, i didnt want Jack to be afraid of Cain for attacking Micah, so protecting him was the way to go.


	18. The Widow

In which there is a widow

(Willard's Rest)

*suggested by Scarletlocks

Micah had followed Arthur all the way from Beaver Hollow. With how often the man came up here, Micah was sure he was hiding something, a secret cash stash perhaps. Micah hid Baylock and himself in the trees as Arthur dismounted and walked up to a cabin. A black haired woman opened the door at his knock, and the two went inside. 

"Well, well, looks like Morgan's got himself a sweet little whore hidden away." Micah cackled to himself as he sat down to wait, "Gonna have to pay her a visit."

 

After a few hours, Arthur and the woman walked out the door together. The woman hugged Arthur before he mounted up and rode away. Micah waited another half an hour, before he mounted up himself. He slowly rode down to the path, and then up to the cabin. The woman was sitting on a bench by the door, reading. A rifle sat propped up by her feet, but Micah trusted he was faster with his guns. What he was not aware of however, was that Charlotte had been aware of him since before he cleared the gateposts. Charlotte slid her new revolver, a gift from Arthur, out of its holster and sat it on the bench beside her. 

Charlotte peeked over her book at the man and took an instant dislike to him. He seemed to match Arthur's description of the man who made his life so difficult. Better safe than sorry, she used the sound of the mans boots hitting the dirt to cock the hammer. He didn't seem to hear it, good. Keeping one hand on her revolver, she gently snapped her book closed and sat it beside her. 

"Hello. Can I help you?" she politely asked. "I don't often see many people this far above Brandywine Drop."

Micah sauntered up and leaned on the porch support, all greasy charm. "Just came to see what my old pal Morgan was hiding up here. So ,whats your going rate? See, I thought ole Black Lung Morgan was talking to the Pinkerton's , so I followed him. Instead I find you, Morgan's little whore." Micah sneered as he stepped fully onto the porch. 

" _Excuse_ me?" Charlotte couldn't believe this man had just bold as brass called her a whore. Her hand tightened on the revolver.

 _'Just a little closer.'_ Charlotte thought herself. Arthur had only gifted her the revolver a week ago, and she wasn't a sure shot with it yet. She needed this man a bit closer so there would be no chance she could miss. _'Come on you bastard. Take another step.'_

"I think you should leave now. " Charlotte put a little quaver in her voice, luring him closer. Micah looked her up and down with a dirty leer. "No, I don't think I will."

 ~*****~

 

Arthur was nearly to Doverhill, when he heard the cough of a revolver echo across the water behind him. His face lost all color as he realized it had come from the direction of Charlotte's cabin. There was another shot and he whirled his horse around and took off at a gallop. The second shot had a different bark to it, a pistol not a revolver. He crashed through the water and dodged trees as he spurred his horse on. Arthur cleared the gate posts and slid to a stop, hardly comprehending who was laying on the porch steps. 

"Mrs. Balfour! Charlotte!" Arthur hollered, though it hurt his lungs. 

"I'm here, Arthur, in the corner. " Charlotte answered as she stood up and brushed bits of glass off herself. "I'm okay."

Arthur stopped and finally looked at the body that was laid out, arms akimbo. "Micah." He said with as much venom as he could muster.

 

Charlotte took a couple steps forward, hands a bit shaky around the revolver's grip. "He said he followed you, said the most awful things. He frightened me, so I shot him. I killed a man. oh god I killed a man." Charlotte started to hyperventilate. She had always prided herself on being good in a crisis, but the crisis was over now, so she felt justified in falling apart.

Arthur pulled her into a gentle hug as he took the revolver out her hand. "Hey now, your okay. Ain't nobody gonna blame you for shootin' scum like that." he stepped back and looked at Charlotte as she wiped her eyes. "When I shot him in the chest, he fired at me and hit the window. If I hadn't moved..."

"Its okay, Mrs Balfour, you go on inside and I'll take care of the body." Arthur said as he tried to issue Charlotte through the door, but she wouldn't go. She wiped her nose and looked at Arthur, "No. No I'll help you. Cant have you collapsing on me again." Charlotte gave a wet chuckle as she bent down and grabbed Micah's boots. 

"You are some kinda woman, Mrs. Balfour." Arthur coughed as he grabbed Micah's sleeves. Together the pair got the body up onto Baylock and they took it to Brandywine Drop. They watched as the body tumbled down and disappeared under the frothing water.

"What about his horse?" Charlotte asked.

"Well I reckon we turn him loose and send him on his way. When he gets back to camp with blood on his saddle, the others will draw their own conclusions."

"You could stay, you know."

"I appreciate the offer, Charlotte, but I got people counting on me back at camp."

~*******~

When Arthur never came back, Charlotte feared she knew what had happened. Then a strange man with scars on his cheek rode up one day, and she knew for sure. When the man had left, Charlotte went around behind the cabin and sat down. She tossed a piece of bread at the golden buck standing in her flower garden. "That was rude you know, letting me believe you were just a regular deer." The buck snorted, the sound almost a laugh and dipped his antlers at her before delicately eating the bread.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i almost, almost had her go around behind the cabin and Arthur be sitting there. but i figured with how sick he was, he wouldn't have lived the intervening eight years. You can see this as shippy if you want, but i see it as good friends.


	19. Bull

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally sat there, bouncing up and down lightly in my chair going, "I dont know what to write!" nothing would come to me, none of the characters would speak to me. the creative juices just DO NOT FLOW when you play as John. le sigh...

In which there is a bull

(Hill Haven ranch, Scarlett Meadows)

 

"Jesus, it's just a bit of cattle theivin', don't know what your complaining about." Sean grumped as he listened to Micah whine. Somehow the ginger Irishman had convinced Micah to go steal some cattle from Hill Haven. once they had them, they could sell them  to Clay Davies. The pair quietly shooed the cattle out the gate. 

"I don't think this is all of them. There's four more over there, and another in the pen behind them. Go get em." Sean urged the sullen blonde.

"Why the fuck I gotta do it?"

"My operation, my rules. Fine ill get the four, you get the one that's alone."

 

Now Sean may not have been a farmboy, but even he could tell the difference between a bull and cow. Didn't hurt that he had scoped the place out days ago and knew for a fact that is was, indeed, a bull. Sean had had just about enough of Micah, so he decided to get rid of him. A lot of outlaws fell to a job gone bad, this could be no different.

Sean watched as Micah barged through the gate and started waving his arms, trying to get the massive bovine to move. He wiggled in anticipation as the bull heaved himself to his feet with an angry snort. Micah saw the moonlight reflect off the ring in its nose about two seconds too late, as the bull gave an angry bellow and charged.  Up Micah went, and down Micah went as the bull hooked him into the air, then knelt on him as he hit the ground. The bull ground Micah into a chunky paste as Sean laughed himself all the way to the horse fence with the rest of the herd.

 

"Sorry, Dutch. there was a bull..."

*there's a companion mission at Shady Belle where you go steal cattle from this ranch with Uncle.*

* * *

 

 


	20. Experiment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bill seems like the explosives 'expert' yeah? I know he's not very smart, but you don't have to be particularly smart to know what explodes and what does not. Every explosive's aficionado likes to experiment right?

In which there is an experiment

(Pre-game, Blackwater Camp)

*I'm pulling it out of my ass what this camp looked like, but im assuming it was hidden in some trees*

 

"What you mixing there Bill?" Arthur asked as he strolled by. The larger man had a small mortar and pestle and was frowning into the bowl as he worked it. 

"Got some powders off a real small feller I met. Said they'd work real nice, only I cant seem to get the mixture right." Bill gave him a toothy grin then frowned again.

"Explosives!? Christ Bill, do it away from camp, by the scout fire or something." Arthur scrubbed his face as he vividly recalled one of Bill's concoctions exploding and coloring Arthur blue. It wasn't so funny when it was him, but when Bill did it to Marston and all his hair fell out? Oh hell yes. Marston had been so mad he'd tackled Bill, who thought it was funny till he got hit in the balls. Arthur had had to pull them apart all while laughing so hard he couldn't see. Which might possibly have contributed to his cracking his chin on a table and getting a new scar. 

 

Bill grumbled but walked a bit further from camp, he sat on a stump, his back to the others. "Now, did he say it was gunpowder and then the blue stuff or the other way..."

Bill had been working on his experiment for at least an hour, and it still didn't look right. He was getting more and more frustrated at having to start over again. Micah strutted over, a lit cigarette in his hand. The sullen blonde clapped Bill on the shoulder, making him jump. The movement jostled Micah's hand and the cigarette fell into the pestle as if in slow motion.

"SHIT!" Bill yelped as he threw the bowl away from himself and tried to leap away.

Micah turned with a laugh, "What are you doing?" 

 

The bowl exploded with a lurid yellow smoke and a smell like burnt ozone. The force knocked Bill back on his ass and the smoke obscured what happened to Micah. Bill coughed and patted a small flame on his shoulder out. He tried in vain to wave the smoke away as he sat up and coughed again. He heard an answering cough from somewhere to his left, "Bill, You blow yourself up?" then a quiet mutter of "cant see shit in this." followed by another cough.

 

"No. Maybe. " Bill coughed again, "Goddammit, alright yes. I'm over here." Bill called still sitting down. A shape came through the smog and formed into Arthur. 

"The hell was in that shit Bill? It stinks something awful." Arthur neglected to tell Bill both his eyebrows and part of his beard was singed off. Funnier that way.

Bill heaved himself up, "It wouldn't stink at all if Micah hadn't goddamn surprised me. Hey where is he anyway?" The pair separated in the thinning smoke, looking for Micah. 

"Over here, Morgan. I found him." Bill called, a queer tone to his voice.

"About damn ti-" Arthur stopped as he looked at Micah. Well what was left of Micah anyway. The blast had blown Micah across the clearing, and there he was, with a giant broken off tree branch stuck straight through him.

Bill turned to Arthur, "You think Dutch is gonna be mad?"

"I doubt it, Micah's only been with us a couple a months. Beside's he shoulda known what you were doing, only has himself to blame."

 

Dutch as it turned out _was_ a little bit miffed as he had been planning a ferry heist with Micah. Arthur and Hosea found a different job instead, and it went off without a hitch, so Dutch was mollified. They say if you go into a certain group of trees near Blackwater, there's a faint stench and a skeleton partially grown into a tree. 

* * *

*by the by, who names their kid William Williamson... that's just cruel.

  
Edit:[(from the Red Dead Wiki)](http://reddead.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Williamson) _Bill Williamson was born in 1866 as Marion Williamson; embarrassed by his first name, he would later adopt the name "Bill" after his surname._ Jesus, no wonder he's so mean. huh, he was also discharged from the military for 'deviancy'. maybe there is something to that Keiran/Bill theory...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I finally did a Bill one. Being such a laconic bastard, he's a hard one to write when he's not a supporting character.  
> whereas Trelawney, damn him, is loquacious, and thus very hard to get right. in the words of Sandor Clegane, "He's a talker, I don't like talkers."
> 
> has not killed Micah:  
> Mary-Beth  
> Karen  
> Tilly  
> Trelawney  
> Keiran  
> Lenny  
> Javier  
> Molly  
> Hosea


	21. a kiss

In which there is a kiss

 (Shady Belle)

"Girls, are you as tired of Micah as I am?" Karen asked one day, while they did the darning and gossiping.

"Yeah, I'm afraid to be alone with him." Tilly answered as she expertly patched the knee of a pair of pants, Charles' maybe, judging by the leg length.

"And he's always taking my books!" Mary-Beth huffed. "Oh shoot." she sighed as she accidentally sowed her skirt to the shirt she was working on, again. 

Karen leaned in closer and looked to make sure nobody was watching. "I got a way to get rid of him, permanent like. I learned it from a redhead I knew. her name was Saffron or maybe it was Bridgett, anyway, she taught me a little trick."

The other two nodded in agreement and set out to provide Karen with an alibi. So when Karen marched up to Micah and kissed him full on the mouth, then slapped him and huffed away? Well everybody just thought she was drunk again and didn't give it too much thought.

 

Karen sat back down between Tilly and Mary-Beth and scrubbed at her mouth with her sleeve. "That was nasty!"

"What'd you go and do that for, Karen?"

"Yeah, was that trick?"

"No, the trick is to coat your lips in a thin layer of a special kinda poison." Karen was still scrubbing at her mouth. "The _problem_ is to remember not to lick your own lips. It takes a while but it makes blood come outta every hole ya got. I'm thinking right around chow time, it'll hit him. "

"So it'll just... look like bad food?" Tilly raised an eyebrow.

"Yup!" Karen said as she popped the P.

"Uh-oh, Grimshaw's coming, look busy!" Mary-Beth hissed as she caught sight of the camp matron. 

 

 

Right on time, everybody sat down to eat. Micah finished first and about three minutes later, his nose started to bleed. A slow drip that turned into a steady stream as his ears joined in. Then a blossoming stain crept down his pant leg. Everybody started to panic and threw their bowls of food away from them selves, all frantically checking for bloody noses. Micah started to choke as pink froth dribbled from his lips, then fell to his knees as thick blood started pouring from his mouth.

Micah lost all color as his liquefied organs drained out of him, and he fell over to move no more.

"What the hell did you put in the stew, Pearson!"

"Same as every night! rabbit, carrots, couple potatoes! nobody else is sick, maybe he ate something before he ate the stew?"

 

As nobody else was drowning in their own blood, Dutch ruled it as nobodies fault. Micah's body was dragged out and buried, his horse added to the pool and his things divided up. Overall, life went on, and nobody ever connected the two events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why yes, that was a reference to YoSaffBridge from Firefly, only her poison kiss just knocks you out.
> 
> and yes, Karen has the antidote. She's a drunk, not stupid.


	22. A Pen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mary-Beth reminds me of belle from beauty and the beast....  
> quiet, kind, dreams of bigger things, always has a book. brown hair. same soft face and large eyes, though hers are green.
> 
>  
> 
> so I present Micah, as Gaston!

In which the pen is mightier

* suggested by blooming_atlas 

*Arthur gets Mary-Beth that nice silver fountain pen...*

   


Mary-Beth sat behind the wagons in the sun, writing in her book. She'd had an idea for a story and wanted to jot it down. It had been so nice of Arthur to find her that pretty pen.It made her writing look so much better than a pencil did. More dignified somehow. A shadow fell over Mary-Beth and she looked up. 

"Oh, Micah. How, how are you?" Mary-Beth squeaked as the Blonde loomed over her. Micah reached down and yanked the book out of her nerveless fingers, smudging the ink. He turned the book left, right and upside down. "Don't think female's should bother learning to read. Their place is in the kitchen, or the bedroom, heh heh"

Mary-Beth stood up, hand out and hard pen clutched in the other one. "Please give me my book back."

Micah sneered at her as he took hold of a couple pages and slowly tore them out. He proceeded to blow his nose with them as he casually chucked the book over his shoulder. Where it landed in the fire. He let out a mean laugh as the tears welled up in Mary-Beth's eyes. Her green eyes snapped to his and an incandescent rage crept across her face. She snapped forward and buried her pen in Micah's throat. Mary-Beth screamed in rage and stabbed him again and again.

 

The others rushed toward the sound, and rounded the wagon. There was Mary-Beth, with Micah dead at her feet, a silver pen jutting from his eye. 

"Mary-Beth, what has come over you!" Grimshaw scolded.

Mary-Beth turned toward the others, voice hard as steel and eyes cold as ice. "He. Burned. My. Book."

Dutch took in the spectacle Mary-Beth made, with her entire front drenched in arterial spray. "Riiight...new uh, new rule. NOBODY TOUCH MS. GASKILL's BOOKS!" He shouted the last part so everybody could hear. Mary-Beth nodded and walked through the crowd. Lenny piped up, "You Know what they say, It's always the quiet ones that snap hardest." Hosea just cuffed him over the head and set Bill and Keiran to disposing of the body.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you love books (a bibliophile) you absolutely are capable of this level of violence. For instance you wont chuck a book at somebody because it might damage the book, and it physically pains you to see a written in or otherwise defaced book.


	23. Biblical

In which things get Biblical 

(Pre-game, Blackwater Camp) 

   
 

Arthur, Javier and Mac stormed back into camp, blowing past the sentries without slowing. The trio had Micah bound and gagged on the back his horse, bleeding sluggishly from his forehead and nose. They skidded to a stop, their horses blowing hard from how fast they had pushed them.  Mac dragged Micah down off Baylock and dumped him at Dutch and Hosea's feet. The pair of leaders stood up, confusion writ large across their faces.

"Caught 'im with the Pinkertons, Dutch." Mac said as he spat on Micah.

Javier stopped and gave Micah a hard kick to the ribs as he went by to stand near the gathering crowd. "Arthur heard him talking. Saw him too."

"He told em' everything Dutch. Where we are, what we're doing. The goddamn ferry job is a set up Dutch. All that plannin'..."

"They was plannin' to get us all on the ferry then swarm us." Mac snapped. 

Dutch's face turned nearly purple with rage, while Hosea went the complete opposite. Like the calm before the storm, he stilled and his features hardened. Gone was the grandfatherly persona he cultivated, and the man who had helped found one of the most successful gangs shone forth.

"How you wanna handle this Dutch?" Arthur asked as he strode over to face the pair. Dutch started to speak, but Hosea's raised hand cut him off. "I will handle this, you go and tell Dutch everything that was said. Leave nothing out."

 

Arthur and Dutch retreated back into the cluster of tent's, headed for the largest. Mrs. Grimshaw bellowed, "Start packin'! We're moving!" before sweeping away like a hurricane. Hosea's eyes snapped to Javier and the Callander brothers. 

"Javier, get your knives hot. Davey, Mac, cut him loose and lay him on his stomach." The three did as ordered and soon enough Micah was pinned down, Davey holding his shoulders, Mac his ankles. Micah tried to kick free and fight, but he was no match for the larger Callanders. Hosea took a nearby hammer and straddled the back of Micah's thighs. He raised the hammer high and like an avenging god, brought it crashing down in one swift strike into the curve of Micah's lower back. There was a harsh crunch as his spine broke and Micah let loose a blood curdling scream that startled nearby birds into flight. 

"Roll him over. Javier, those knives hot?" Hosea stood and watched with dispassion as Micah sobbed when they turned him, his legs flopping like landed fish. 

"Cherry red, boss."

"Good. Get over here and carve what I tell you." Hosea reached down with his own knife and slit Micah's shirt down the middle, exposing his pasty chest and belly. He shoved the shirt back to bare the whole of his torso. Javier came over, a knife glowing white hot in hand. The bandito sat on Micah's heaving stomach as the rat screamed. Javier set to work under Hosea's direction, and after a time the job was done to the elder's satisfaction. Hosea patted Javier on the shoulder as they checked his work. 

"Get some rope, string him up by his wrists for his friends to find." 

"We're not gonna kill him?" Davey asked as he wiped his hands on his thighs.

"No, leaving him like this is so much worse. If he lives, he'll be a cripple. The worst thing to happen to a man who makes his living with a gun."

*~~~~*

 

When the Pinkerton's hadn't heard from their informant in two days, they decided to use his information and storm the camp. Thirty Pinkerton agents cleared the trees and halted in confusion. The clearing was empty, save for empty boxes, and the cluster of vultures. Agent Milton dismounted and strode over, the large carrion eaters lifting off amidst furious screeching. One large vulture stayed on the body's shoulder, peck peck pecking at the bloated corpse's face. The bird glared balefully as Agent Milton cursed when he grabbed a handful of hair and tilted the head back. Their informant was dead, strung up for the birds. The words _SPEAK NO EVIL_  carved into his chest with masterful skill in bold letters. 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there is a scene where Hosea pulls a gun on a drunk Bill and forces him to go sleep it off and one where he kicks Sean for being lazy. Hosea seems like the type to straight up blow away a person once they have crossed his line. Hows that go, "demons run when a quiet man goes to war"? Hosea seems like he has a long fuse with a BIG bang at the end, whereas dutch also seems to have a long fuse, but with many smaller explosions before the boom at the end. 
> 
>  
> 
> im not to sure about the 'speak no evil' but i couldn't think of anything else that would go. Hosea is roman catholic so...
> 
> Also bonus Callender Brothers. We dont know anything about them other than Charles calls them vicious bastards. Uncle says Davey was heartless but he had a heart, so idk. I picture them as the blonde bookend goons Dutch used as muscle.


	24. Age and a shotgun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can you hear the Benny Hill Music?

In which age is the great equalizer

(Clemens Point)

*Though having a shotgun helps

 

Arthur sat with Lenny and Sean around the main table. Arthur had his feet up and the chair tilted back, enjoying a beer. Lenny had his book and Sean was cleaning his guns. Micah was sat at the other table, trying to hit on Grimshaw.

Sean snorted, "Man has no way with the ladies." As Micah switched to insulting Grimshaw about her age. All three men let out a collective wince as Grimshaw's face darkened. They had all been on the receiving end of her temper, but they had no sympathy for Micah. Grimshaw slowly reached down and then lighting fast walloped the blonde with a stool. 

Sean laughed and said, "He's got no call commentin' on her age. Dont you think he look's like a 70 year old'sballsack?"

Lenny looked up from his book as Micah streaked past, Grimshaw hot on his heels, screaming like a banshee. He turned to look at Sean, "Comparing Micah to a 70-year old ballsack is a step up he doesn't deserve. How do you even know what a old ballsack looks like anyway? You been peekin' at Hosea when he's havin' a wash? " Lenny chuckled.

Arthur snorted and spit part of his beer down his chin. He started outright laughing as Grimshaw caught up to Micah and started dunking him in the wash basin. Arthur's arms pinwheeled and beer went everywhere as the chair gave up and tipped over backward. He lay on the ground laughing like a loon as Dutch tried to stop Grimshaw and she threw a wet rag in his face. The wet splat followed by the shocked expression near did the trio in, leaving them all whooping and gasping for breath. 

Micah used the incident to make his escape, and Grimshaw grabbed her shotgun and chased him down the beach, with Dutch chasing her. Every few minutes there would be a boom, followed by a shout.

Boom! "I'm just trying to wing him!"

"Ms. Grimshaw, stahp!"

Boom! "Nearly had him!"

"Susan!"

Boom! "Got him!"

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am not actually all that fond of Grimshaw. I know she helps rescue Tilly from the Foreman brother's but she's a major bitch to those girls. slapping them, screaming in their faces. anytime they arent working she's on em. she bitches at Arthur for not donating too, it like "bitch, you see all these tent's and fine wagons? the chicken coop? i paid for all that. you donated 83 cents and uncle gave an Empty bottle. Charles with his bat wings... Back Off!"
> 
> she used to look really pretty, and her and dutch used to be lovers before he met Annabelle, but sometimes i wanna slap her, call her out on her cuntyness. I even prefer molly over her, and she's basically dutch's doll.


	25. Cauldron and Cliff

In which there is a cauldron

(Northern Ambarino)

*requested by crazstiz

 

Charles and Micah were headed for Annesburg from Colter, when it started to rain so hard they couldn't see the trail ahead.

"The map says there is a place called "The Loft" up ahead somewhere." Charles shouted over the thunder. Micah just grunted and pulled his hat lower, not that it did much against the freezing wet. A faint trail appeared through the underbrush, snaking back over the hill. 

"Think that's it?" Micah pointed.

"Let's check it out anyway. Could be shelter." Charles turned and lead the way up to a run down little shack. A raven with red eyes cawed loudly from a broken roof beam. Something told Charles to stop, to let Micah go first. Micah shoved past him into the hut, ignoring the bones piled in the corner, the strange bottles and the candles. He zeroed in on the cauldron bubbling away in the corner. 

Micah chuckled as he reached for the ladle and again something told Charles to stop, to wait and see. Micah took a slurp of the mixture and grimaced at the taste. There was a deep rumble and a shift was felt, like something had just irrevocably changed. The world seemed to turn itself inside out and turn sharply to the left, making Charles fall to his knees and gag.

When he opened his eyes, a rodent of unusual size was staring back, nose twitching. A blonde rat, roughly half the size of a man, surrounded by Micah's clothes. Charles yelped and threw himself backwards as the rat starting squeaking angrily. Charles felt completely justified in shooting first, shooting some more and then asking questions. 

As Charles galloped away like the hounds of hell were after him, the large black raven landed on the lip of the cauldron, cawing laughter following the man down the trail.

 

*bonus points if you catch the Princess Bride reference and the Wild Wild West one

* * *

 

In which there is a cliff

(The Heartlands)

*suggested by blooming_atlas 

Micah and Bill ran from the bounty hunters, Bill leading the way and Micah shooting back over his shoulder. Bill called out "cliff!" and made a hard turn. Micah turned to look as Baylock slammed to stop and screamed in fear. There was a sharp tearing sound and the cinch separated as Micah, saddle and all went sailing over the edge. 

When Bill got back to camp and tried to explain how they had not only alerted the bounty hunters, but how Bill had lost Dutch's current favorite, Tilly smiled and walked away. She hummed to herself as she passed Kieran and the two shared a wink. After all, nobody had seen them carefully cut through the leather. Kieran had kept watch while Tilly sawed away, before replacing the saddle and joining the others. 

Really the only ones who didn't win were the bounty hunters who had to climb down and scrape their quarry into a bag.

 

* There's a scene when Kieran is tied to the tree that Tilly gives him water. I figured he could pay it forward by helping her with the saddle.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there really is no way for Kieran to kill Micah without getting killed in return. something goes wrong with the horses or their saddles, comes back on Kieran hard. he only has two missions, the six point cabin one and the fishing one. he never leaves the camp and when he does, he loses his damn head. he makes a decent accomplice but i dont know if i can ever write him as the ringleader. He just screams kicked puppy and rescue me.


	26. there is a hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for the N word. i dont like it but it is what micah would be thinking

In which there is a hole

(lemoyne)

*suggested by Scarletlocks

Micah woke with a grunt as he felt himself hit the ground. He tried to roll over and found he couldn't. A heavy canvas was wrapped around him, leaving only his head and neck free. He slowly worked at the rough gag in his mouth as he lay face down on the ground and listened. There was of a pair of voices hissing at each other from over to his left.

"You hit him pretty hard."

"He ain't exactly a small man you know."

It was that goddamn nigger and Marston's whore. Where the hell was he? He remembered 'chatting' to Abigail, and then quick footsteps behind him, turning and then....nothing. Obviously the bitch hit him the back of the skull but what were they doing now?

Micah heard the sound of wet dirt hitting dry earth. A rhythmic thumping sound almost like....but it couldn't be.

"Damn it, it keeps filling up with water!" Lenny complained.

"Don't care, keep digging! Gotta get this done before somebody comes looking for us."

It was. They were digging a hole.

After a while the digging stopped, and Micah started to panic. A shovel hit the earth with a muted clang.

"I think he's awake."

"If he ain't, wake him up. Don't want him sleeping through this."

 

Micah was rolled over, Lenny's face coming into view. He had mud smeared across both knees and his hands were caked in it. He called back over his shoulder.

"Yup, he's awake. Come grab his feet." Lenny gave Micah the nastiest look he had ever seen, and grinned down at the prone man. Teeth too white in the darkness, and a smile too full of teeth to be called friendly. Smaller hands latched on and Micah looked down at Abigail. At the torn dress and crooked nose with dried blood crusting under it. She'd felt so good squirming underneath him as he shoved her dress out of the way. To bad the nigger interrupted them before he got a taste. 

His thoughts were halted by Lenny dropping one shoulder to hit him, "Take a long look, cause you'll never get to do that to her or any other woman, ever again. Cause us? Well, we gonna bury you alive. But hey, hole's half full of water, maybe you'll drown first." Again Lenny gave him that vicious look and Abigail let out a low, mean laugh. In that moment he _almost_ could respect them for being so vindictive.

The pair dropped him beside the hole, and Abigail walked up and crouched near his head. "You will not haunt my nights, you will not ruin my days. You will be forgotten, like a bad smell. I will go home and hug Jack and kiss John and my life will go on. While you? Your gonna be nothing but worm food."

Abigail stood up and Lenny stepped beside her. "Hey Micah, when you get to Hell, tell 'em we sent you."

 

They both gave him a hard kick in the guts, rolling him over the lip of the makeshift grave. Micah landed with splash in cold water that was several inches deep. The shock of the kick and the cold stole his breathe for several seconds, but he regained it as the first shovel of wet earth fell on his chest. Micah screamed through the gag and tried to claw his way out of the canvas. another and another batch of earth fell on him, and soon he was half buried already. The pair seemed to be leaving his face open for now, maybe so they could enjoy the sheer atavistic terror written across it. Finally, when the weight of the earth prevented any movement, the first load of many landed on his face. Micah blinked furiously through the dirt as more rained down, tried to breathe through it clogging his nose but to no avail.

 

Lenny and Abigail leaned on their shovels and listened as a faint, and growing fainter, scream could be heard from the earth at their feet. Lenny passed Abigail a flask from his pocket and waited till she took a swig before grabbing her nose and straightening it. The crack brought tears to her eyes, and then more came as she thought of all that happened. Lenny handed her a handkerchief and patted her on the back. "He's gone now."

"does it make me a monster that I'm happy he's dead? That he cant trail me or touch me again?" Abigail tried not to sniffle as she scrubbed at the blood on her face and the dirt across her nose from Lenny's hands. 

"No, makes you human. He was the monster. come on, lets get back to camp. Been gone to long already."

The pair mounted up and rode away, leaving their shovels like silent sentinels behind them.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dont know about abigail's speech. it almost sounds too smart for her, ya know?


	27. Predator Bait

In which there is bait

(Big Valley)

 

“What you looking so smug for?” Arthur asked Karen as she came to stand by the horses. 

“Oh no reason.” Karen smiled all sly like.

“Karen, I known you for years now. What did you do?” Arthur asked, suspicious suddenly. Karen didn't pull off angel face very well. it's why Drunken Harlot was the go to plan, no acting needed.

“I may have...sewn predator bait into the lining of Micah's coat?” Karen winced at the thunderous look on Arthur's face. 

"I'm supposed to ride out with him in 5 minutes! Was it at least the regular kind?” Arthur took her by the elbow and pulled her away from the others. He quickly lowered his voice so the nobody would over hear. Not to a whisper, more a hoarse whisper shout to be honest. 

“Not exactly. It might be more along the lines of Potent?” Karen shrugged as she pried Arthur's fingers off. 

“Karen!” Arthur shouted then waved sheepishly at Swanson when he looked up. 

“Do you know where we are riding out to today Karen?” Arthur's whisper was sugar sweet now, like he was talking to a simple person. 

“I know you're going for a stage.” Karen said with a confused frown.

“That’s right. We are going for a stage. In Black Bone Forest. Do you know what's in that forest Karen?” Still with the same false calm voice, that was still managing to be menacing. 

“I’m guessing animals?” 

“Yes Karen. _Animals_. There are wolves, big ones. There are cougars, fast ones. There's more snakes than you can shake a stick at. There are wild pigs that charge at you when you stop to pick a plant.  And do you know what else is in there?” His voice was rising again as his anger at her stupidity did. 

“No?” She was nervous now. 

“BEARS, Karen! There's goddamn bears in there near the size of my horse! And I am riding in there with a man who smells like heaven to them!” Arthur shouted the first word then growled out the rest as he scrubbed his face with one palm. 

 “Christ if you wanted to kill me a bullet woulda been quicker. What'd I ever do to you?” Arthur muttered with his eyes closed like he was praying for patience.  “You got anything you wanna say?” He ground out as he ran his hands angrily through his hair and slammed his hat back on. 

“Keep an eye out?” She shrugged not really knowing what to say now.

“Thanks, Karen. That  _really_  helps.” He glared at her, the sarcasm in his voice near tangible. 

*~~~~~*

The pair mounted up and left, Arthur twitchy as all hell, gun at the ready. Micah teased him the whole way about cowardice and nerves. Arthur bit his tongue and kept scanning the trees, which caused Micah to give him a funny look.  Arthur dropped a little behind Micah as they entered the forest, and jumped at every rustle of a branch.  

Baylock let out a scream as a tawny blur launched out of a tree and latched onto Micah. The big cats weight pulled him down as he fought to get his gun free. Arthur suffered a moment of hesitation. Kill the cougar _now_ or wait for a clear shot as it charged at him after it was finished with Micah. Decisions decisions. The choice was taken out of his hands as with a wet crunch, the cougar’s long fangs pierced Micah's skull. For the rest of his days, that was Arthur's favorite cougar skin vest.  

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was trying to bring a legendary pelt and a whole load of others to the trapper in big valley, coming down from lake isabella, and i ran into two separate packs of wolves, a black bear, the o'driscolls i didnt know were at hanging dog yet, outran a grizzly (while trying not to hit a tree or loose my temporary horse) and a gods be damned cougar ate me not 10 feet from the trapper. im trying to shoot it, my horse dumped me and "i screamed what about loyalty you horsey bastard!" as the cougar crunched me. i could see the damn trapper. like come on man, shoot the thing, help a buddy out. i saved you from some wolves at your stall near annesburg. granted i may have led the wolves TO you but thats not the point....


	28. Belle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like i've shot myself in the foot in regards to updates. that if i don't update every day, at least one chapter, then im letting all you lovely people down. there are just some days where i cant think of damn thing, and i don't wanna post lackluster chapters. 
> 
> I get so excited when someone leaves a comment or Kudos, really makes my day.

In which there is a Belle

(Heartlands)

Dutch had tasked John, Arthur and Micah with hitting a stagecoach passing through the Heartlands, supposed to be full of payroll. The three sat on a hill above the road and waited, each bickering and antagonizing the others to pass the time. Finally as the last light of day disappeared behind the rock formations native to this part of the land, a lone stage rolled into view.

"There it is, masks on." Arthur commanded, "strange it ain't got no outriders though."

The trio galloped down the hill, a dust trail billowing behind them, Arthur cut the stage off, forcing the driver to stop and the other two came up on the left side. Arthur stayed mounted, gun trained on the driver. John dismounted and reached for the door handle, Micah so close behind he was almost stepping on John's spurs. The driver started to sweat as Arthur squinted suspiciously at him. Fearing a trap, he turned to stop John just as the door was kicked open.

"Shit!" John yelped as he dove to the side, a shotgun blast tearing through the space he had just vacated. The space Micah now occupied. The blast tore into Micah and Swiss-cheesed him as the door was yanked shut.

"You picked the wrong coach today boys!"

 

John slid over to Arthur who just looked dumbfounded. "What you wanna do, Arthur?"

Arthur impatiently waved at John to shut up. "Hold up, I know that voice." Arthur dismounted and slowly walked over to the door. He jumped back as another shotgun blast blew through the lacquered wood. 

"Ha! Try again!" the voice cackled in mad glee.

"Black Belle, is that you?"

"That that young feller what helped kill them bounty hunters in the swamp?" The voice asked, curious now but still wary.

"It surely is." Arthur grinned at John and turned back to the mangled door.

 

The door swung open to hang by one hinge, as Belle poked her head out, shotgun still primed to go. Her face broke into a wide smile at the sight of Arthur. Arthur offered her his hand to help her step down from the carriage. Belle scoffed and jumped down, missing landing on Micah by a few inches.

"Hey there young feller! ooh, sorry about your friend." Belle toed the body as she smiled at Arthur.

"I'm not, weren't _my_ friend." Arthur grinned back as John stared at him like he had lost his damn mind. Belle looked at him over Arthur's shoulder then back to Arthur, one brow raised in question.

"Marston. Don't pay no mind to him, he's an idiot. What you doing out here anyway? Thought you was heading for better pastures?"

"Was heading to the station near Valentine, gonna ride in style. Bit old to be riding all around the country on horseback. Come on I'll buy ya a drink in the saloon."

"Sounds good to me. Come on Marston."

"Oh hold on." Belle turned and shot the stage driver, then grabbed her bag and the lockbox from the interior.

Arthur hopped on his horse, and gave Belle a hand up behind him. They headed out a trot, Marston following behind like a lost duckling. Neither gave a care to Micah's body or the stage driver. They sat and drank with Belle till the train came, with her telling them stories of the _real_ outlaw days.

 

Sorry Dutch, the coach was a trap. Guards got him...."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Belle basically rides off into the sunset, but i figured what the hell. I really liked her, especially since she's based off Belle Starr and Pearl Hart. She even wears the same clothes as Starr. I'm am also aware she had a Winchester repeater and not a shotgun. it is not outside the realm of possibility for her to pick up another gun so nyah.
> 
> Belle robbed the coach herself, then forced the driver to take her where she wanted to go just in case you were confused. The driver started to sweat because of what Belle said she'd do if he stopped the stage.


	29. Father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy cow was Belle popular, especially considering it was a throw away chapter cause i had no other ideas. which is why the end is wonky...

In which there is a Father

(That Mountain Scene)

*requested by Mapleflight

 

Arthur crawled for the gun, Micah's taunts ringing in his ears. The rattle of his breath wheezing out of his wounded lungs almost deafening. His finger tips touched cool metal as he stretched,before the toe of a boot came down on them. Arthur painfully rolled over, he knew that boot. Dutch looked down on him, the man who raised him, taught him everything he knew. Molded him into the man he was today.

"It is over now...Arthur." Dutch said, not seeming to care that he had Arthur's hand trapped. "It's over."

Arthur pushed out the words about Micah being a rat as Dutch's face seemed to crumple in defeat and sadness.

"He's sick. He's dying." Micah implored. "He's talking crazy."

Dutch looked up at Micah, then back at the man who he considered a son. One of Hosea's truths drifted through his fractured mind, _dying man ain't got no reason to lie_.

 

"I gave you all I had..." Arthur gasped for breath, still trying to get his father to see reason. "I did."

"I,I..." memories flashed through the mess of Dutch's mind, piercing the haze. A scrawny underfed kid, streetwise but not yet tough. Arthur grinning like a fool at his first real meal in ages, Hosea ruffling his hair. Teaching Arthur to read, gifting him his first journal. Arthur and John, fighting, always fighting, but still brothers. Arthur, pleased as punch at doing his first bank robbery. Hosea comforting Arthur after Mary left him, Dutch holding him as he cried after finding Eliza and Isaac dead. Arthur, getting shot following Dutch's orders, _protecting_  Dutch. A lifetime of memories flashed by, Arthur's unquestionable loyalty shining through. Arthur's  _love_ for Dutch, burning bright, burning the madness away. 

 

Dutch's face hardened and his eyes cleared as the broken and jagged edges of his mind smoothed away, slotted together to make a new picture. A true picture, the one Hosea and Arthur had been trying to make him see. _oh Molly...Susan... what had he done?_

He saw now, how Micah had come and like a cancer, the rot had spread. How he had blinded Dutch to the truth, to his real family. How he had played on Dutch's delicate mental state, his paranoia. How Micah had always been jealous of Arthur's position. 

 

Arthur watched as all these thoughts and more crossed Dutch's face in the span of a minute. Arthur sighed and went limp, believing _now_ he could die. His brother had escaped and Dutch saw the truth. 

"Come on, Dutch. Lets go buddy. We made it." Micah beckoned to dutch. "We won, come on."

Dutch's hazel eyes snapped to Micah, naked rage snapping from them. Micah faltered as Dutch's hand touched the handle of his guns.

"John made it, he's the only one..." Arthur wheezed, looking up at Dutch, all the fight draining out of him.

John, his other boy. His other son who he had done so wrong by. His boys, both left to die, both surviving against all odds. So many gone, while the rat walked proud and free. No more. _Never_ _again_. Dutch drew his guns, his hands steady and resolve firm in what felt like ages. He coldly aimed and fired, one bullet streaking through the air to tear into Micah's lying heart.

 

Micah clapped a hand to his chest, blood blossoming between his fingers. He staggered back, utter surprise on his face. Micah fell to his knees as his eyes rolled back and his mouth went slack. Dutch didn't see him fall, for he was kneeling beside Arthur.

"Its ok, son. I'm here now. I remember now. What do you need me to do?" Dutch whispered, his hand gentle on Arthur's shoulder.

"Don't trust..ya no more, Dutch." Arthur coughed before he seemed to reconsider, "The sun, I want...to see...the sun."

Dutch nodded and carefully pulled Arthur up, laying his sons arm over his shoulder. They carefully made it the few steps to where the cliff wall ended, and Dutch lowered them down. Dutch sat with Arthur cradled between his knees, his back to his chest. Supporting the man he realized he was still so proud of. Dutch gently rocked, his face pressed to Arthur's hair, as the sun rose and he felt Arthur's chest still under his hand. The tears streamed down the sides of Dutch's nose as his son left him behind, the pale light of a new day turning them to silver and gold.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAAAAH (wails in agony) i know you probably wanted Arthur to live, but if nothing has changed up this point, then he was still very sick.
> 
>  
> 
> I wonder if dutch was schizophrenic...he was clearly something or he got a traumatic brain injury at some point for his personality to completely switch around. im glad i recorded all important cutscenes, so i can go back when i need to write a scene with heavy dialogue.


	30. incendiary

In which there is fire

(shady belle)

Kieran was on sentry duty with Bill just outside the gates of Shady Belle. He hated this place, the smell of the swamp, the fog that made it hard to see. Like it was right now, a thick ground bound smog, that obscured everything. Kieran could just make out the large outline of Bill near the other post. Charles had come in earlier telling how there had been O'Driscolls sighted nearby. Kieran was nervy and kept pacing so Hosea set him for guard duty. Probably a good thing, not like he was gonna sleep now anyway. 

 

The drum of a horses hooves came drifting through the fog, and Bill called out. "Who goes there!"

The gruff voice of Arthur cracked back, "Its Arthur, ya dumbass!"

"Well hell, look what the cat dragged in!" Bill cackled.

Arthur waved him off as he went through the gate at a walk. Harder, faster hoof beats echoed down the path and Arthur slid to a halt. Kieran called out as a shape could be seen flickering into view. "Who, who goes there?"

 No answer came and again Kieran called out. Again, no answer. Kieran raised his borrowed shotgun and fired over the riders head, hoping to halt them. Or at least, he thought he did. The load of buckshot hit them full on and flames erupted. Kieran stared slack jawed as Baylock ran by, neighing in fear.

"What kinda hellish ammo is that!" Arthur yelled as he and Bill ran up Micah's body.

"Its, its, its incendiary buckshot. I made it. Why didn't he say anything! Please don't kill me Mr. Morgan, he didn't say anything and I called twice!" Kieran stuttered.

"Hells half acre, it blew his head off _and_   set him on fire!" Bill roared with laughter as he watched the body and surrounding grass burn.

Keiran had the sudden sinking suspicion he had just made a friend for life in the explosives expert....

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did weapons expert number 4 with incendiary buckshot cause i had never used it before. I hit six point cabin and killed all the o'driscolls with head shots. it did indeed blow their heads off and set them and everything else on fire. i just kinda stared at my screen going this shit is the greatest!


	31. Quicksand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so first off, my apologies for the delay. i have a number of reasons, first this cold weather is sapping my will to live (its minus 43 celsius, and every bone i ever broke is killing me (which is a lot, namely my fingers and knees), i lost the groove and cant seem to hear/see the characters/scenes, and i fell down the RDO rabbit hole. i may also lose my internet indefinitely soon sooo here's the result, a short, shitty chapter.... *bows out with bad grace and crawls back under the quilt*

In which there is Quicksand

(some riverbank)

 

Micah and John headed down the riverbank, skidding along and running at others, in the hopes of losing the tracking hounds by the water. 

"Horses should be just up ahead. Man we stole this useless shit for _shoulda_ left em there ,anyway." John shrugged the saddlebag full of very ugly crockery higher onto his shoulder. 

Micah said nothing just grunted and kept running. The pair hit the sandy bank, waterlogged and silty from a recent rain, Micah out in front.

"Slow down, think we lost em." John puffed as he looked back over his shoulder.

Micah leapt over a small boulder and made it about three steps before he was up to his knees in wet, sucking sand.  John skidded to a halt and stared.

"Marston get me outta here!" Micah demanded as he struggled to find the edge, sinking up to his hips now.

John dropped the bags, a faint clink coming from one. "You know, I could. but I ain't gonna." Marston propped himself up against a rock. "I'm dumb yes, but not that dumb. I've seen you watching Abigail."

Micah sneered as he sank to his belly, his struggles pulling him down quicker. "that bitch would probably welcome a real man between her thighs!"

John raised a brow, "Really? your _sinking_ , I'm the only one around less you count the lawmen we lost and your gonna say shit like that?" He shook his head. "I thought I was the dumb one, but your just plain _stupid_."

 

John watched as Micah's head went under, the sand giving a satisfied slurp. He carefully edged out and grabbed a few handfuls of the wet muck. John smeared them up his arms and down his front, so it looked like he had laid down to try and pull Micah out. He picked up the ugly crockery and loped over to the horse he could make out tied to a tree, before heading to the drop off point.

 

"Sorry Dutch, there was quicksand..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im going with movie quicksand, it sucks ya down faster.


End file.
